Reducing household waste through reusable alternatives is largely a category-by-category process. The items that generate the most frequent single-use packaging in Canadian homes — shopping bags, food wrap, paper towels, and cleaning bottles — each have durable substitutes that are available through major Canadian retailers or by direct order.
This article covers the most commonly switched categories, what to look for, and where to find them in Canada.
Reusable shopping bags are among the most widely adopted single-use substitutes in Canada. Source: Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)
Shopping Bags
Every province in Canada now either charges for single-use plastic bags at retail or has banned them outright (British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and others have implemented bans or strict fees). Most Canadian households already own reusable bags.
The practical consideration shifts from whether to use reusable bags to which material holds up best for a given use:
- Polypropylene woven bags (the standard "reusable" bag sold at checkouts) — durable for heavy loads but difficult to recycle at end of life
- Cotton canvas bags — washable, long-lasting, widely sold at Canadian stores including Winners, HomeSense, and MEC
- Jute bags — biodegradable, available through specialty eco-retailers
Food Wrap and Storage
Replacing single-use plastic wrap and zip bags is one of the more straightforward substitutions in the kitchen.
Beeswax Wraps
Beeswax-coated cotton wraps are a commonly used substitute for cling film. They are mouldable with hand warmth and suitable for wrapping bread, cheese, and cut vegetables. Canadian brands including Bee's Wrap (available through MEC and local zero-waste shops) and Abeego (based in Victoria, BC) produce them domestically.
Beeswax wraps are not suitable for raw meat or high-heat applications. They are cleaned with cool water and mild soap and typically last a year or more with regular use.
Silicone Storage Bags
Food-grade silicone bags are washable, freezer-safe, and suitable for wet foods that beeswax wraps cannot handle. Brands available at Canadian Tire, RONA, and Amazon.ca include Stasher and Zip Top. They cost more upfront than zip bags but are reusable for years.
Glass and Stainless Containers
Glass containers with silicone lids (Pyrex, IKEA 365+) and stainless steel containers (LunchBots, available through specialty retailers) replace single-use plastic containers. Glass is oven and dishwasher safe; stainless is more durable for transport.
For Canadians purchasing food storage items, the Health Canada guide on food containers provides information on safe materials — including guidance on which plastics to avoid for food contact.
Paper Towels and Cleaning Cloths
Paper towel consumption in Canadian households is high. The direct substitution is unpaper towels — typically squares of flannel, terry cloth, or cotton that are washed and reused. Some households use a combination: cotton cloths for everyday spills and paper towels only for tasks where cloth is impractical (like grease or raw meat contact).
Unpaper towels are available through Canadian Etsy sellers, zero-waste shops, and occasionally at stores like Homegrown Natural Food in Ontario. They can also be made from old cotton t-shirts or worn towels.
Cleaning Products and Refills
A significant source of single-use plastic in Canadian households is cleaning product bottles — dish soap, all-purpose cleaner, laundry detergent.
Concentrate and Tablet Formats
Several brands ship cleaning concentrates or dissolvable tablets that are mixed with water in a reused spray bottle. Tru Earth (based in British Columbia) produces laundry strips and cleaning tablets sold across Canada at London Drugs, Save-On-Foods, and online. Nature Clean and Attitude (a Quebec brand) offer concentrate formats at many grocery and pharmacy chains.
Refill Stations
In larger Canadian cities, some zero-waste shops offer refill stations for dish soap, hand soap, and all-purpose cleaner. Customers bring their own containers and pay by weight or volume. This is more common in Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, and Halifax than in smaller centres.
Personal Care Items
Bathroom waste — shampoo bottles, conditioner, body wash, and razor packaging — is a secondary area where reusable substitutes are available.
- Shampoo and conditioner bars — Lush Cosmetics (with stores across Canada) and Rocky Mountain Soap (based in Canmore, AB) both offer solid bars that eliminate plastic bottles
- Safety razors — available at Canadian Tire and various online retailers; blades are replaceable and recyclable through blade banks
- Bar soap — most Canadian pharmacies and grocery stores carry bar soap, which typically comes in cardboard or paper packaging rather than plastic
Produce and Bulk Storage
Mesh produce bags (see Zero-Waste Grocery Shopping) and glass mason jars for bulk dry goods are the two most common items in this category. Mason jars (Ball and Bernardin brands) are available at most Canadian hardware and kitchen stores.
Where to Find Reusable Items in Canada
- MEC (Mountain Equipment Company) — reusable food containers, bags, and outdoor-oriented items
- Canadian Tire — silicone bags, glass containers, reusable bags
- Bulk Barn — sells reusable bags for bulk shopping and some storage containers
- Zero-waste specialty shops — found in most major cities; stock concentrates, cloth alternatives, and refillable products
- Grocery chains — Loblaws, Sobeys, and Walmart Canada carry basic reusable alternatives in their housewares sections
Related Reading
For information on how to apply these items to grocery shopping, see How to Start Zero-Waste Grocery Shopping. For managing food scraps from the kitchen, see Composting at Home: A Practical Guide for Canadians.